The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Bright, entertaining illustrations accompany an odd little text about the lives and adventures of bees.

Musician Buzby Bee, like all the other bees, is in love with his queen, in this case a regal bee with a blue pageboy hairdo. When the queen asks for a volunteer to bring her special nectar from a faraway garden, no one steps forward. Buzby, not exactly the adventurous type, accidentally volunteers himself when he sneezes during the proceedings. Alas, his reluctant quest soon becomes more difficult than he had planned. The flowers that provide the special nectar will not bloom, a dandelion informs Buzby, until a friend of theirs, picked yesterday, is rescued from a nearby house. Nearly defeated by the closed window, Buzby gains entrance to the house after a friendly Fly and Firefly show him the way. After rescuing the captured flower, they attach it to its roots with a Band-Aid. Soon all the flowers bloom, filled with glee that their friend has been saved–and as promised, they allow Buzby to gather the nectar. Back at the hive, the queen shares her special honey with Buzby in gratitude for his bravery, and agrees to go to the garden to meet his many new friends.

While the story is merely adequate, the lively and colorful paintings, with faces strongly reminiscent of those in The Magic Roundabout, are full of delight. (Picture book. 3-5)

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